"No," to Proposed Curfew Ordinance, Says Commission Committee

For more than a year, members of the Athens Clarke County Commission's Legislative Review Committee met monthly to discuss a proposed curfew law. Only it wasn't called a curfew law, it was called an ordinance to restrict access to public campuses. But, in effect, it was a curfew law.

The committee decided this week that the ordinance was going nowhere. They voted unanimously "to pass with no action," which means they won't recommend it to the Mayor and Commission. Mayor Denson, who assigned the ordinance creation to the committee on May 2, 2012, could put it on the agenda, and other commissioners could decide to pass it--but that seems unlikely, committee members said.

The request came after members of Occupy Athens moved their tents from the UGA Arch on Broad Street to the sidewalk outside City Hall. The group was there for about four days before being ousted.

During this week's discussion, committee member Allison Wright said she was more concerned with stuff--such as abandoned backpacks--than with people being found in public spaces. She was uncomfortable in placing a time restriction on a place that had no gate, such as the Veteran's Memorial near the Clarke County Courthouse. She said she doesn't want them defaced but she does want the community's public monuments protected.

The committee discussed whether creating more ordinances would create unintended consequences that would impede free speech. There seemed to be some confusion about what would constitute a violation of an existing ordinance and who would enforce it. Police Chief Jack Lumpkin said his officers would do any necessary enforcing.

When the vote was taken, members of Occupy Athens, who had occupied the meeting room, cheered. They had stood silently, holding signs, for the entire meeting.